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Mycodesign: A new collaboration between mycomaterials and product design as a way to promote material identity
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El Diseño está presente en nuestra cotidianidad. Vivimos rodeados de un mar de productos materiales e inmateriales que son resultado de un proceso de diseño. Aun cuando dichos objetos tienen un fuerte impacto en el entorno social, ambiental e individual, no existen por ahora estrategias que permitan evaluar los productos de diseño de manera sistemática, objetiva e integral. En este trabajo proponemos una clasificación de cuatro categorías de análisis para dicha encomienda: evaluar el objeto de Diseño en términos de su funcionalidad, desempeño, eficiencia e innovación; evaluar la experiencia de usuario en términos de usabilidad, experiencia estética y simbólica; evaluar su impacto ambiental en términos de la huella de carbono, así como de la producción de desechos, consumo energético y de recursos no renovables y; evaluar el impacto social y cultural del Diseño en términos de su relevancia y aportación. Las ideas presentadas surgen del análisis y reflexión colectiva de tres fuentes: la experiencia académica y personal sobre la problemática, una revisión de literatura especializada y la valiosa aportación de revisores anónimos.
Mycelium-based composites (MBC) can be designed utilising a wide range of lignocellulosic substrates and widely distributed versatile ligninolytic fungi. While a wide range of mechanical behaviour has already been reported in the past 15 years, showing potential to obtain viable products for a variety of uses; no systematic description of the engineering parameters has been established till date. We review carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) activities of fungal species, lignocellulosic substrate chemical profile at cellular level, wetting characteristics, substrate aggregate and composition characteristics. We identify three principal strategies for designing MBC: supplementation, densification and composition, and discuss them regarding outstanding reports from the state-of-the-art. We report on solid-state fermentation supplements having significant effect on fungal CAZymes activities (e.g. monosaccharide, nitrogen, ash, pH buffer). State-of-the-art designs and process control promote specific enzymatic activities independent of species genomics; systematically investigating supplementation, densification and composition design strategies in the future may lead to both a widening and deepening of the available material qualities, along with a focus on developments around functional poles. Additionally, future reproducibility studies of MBC development reports may both improve the overall market readiness and public adoption of MBC solutions and valorise the wealth of material and design semiotic properties that the versatility and affordability of MBC systems support.
The paper discusses how characteristics of the mycelium growth process—namely different growth effectiveness depending on the nutrition content of the substrate, gradual solidification of the inoculated substrate, and bio-welding—can be a driving force for developing sustainable biofabrication processes of mycelium based composites (MBC) for architectural application. To explore this potential one-semester (12 weeks) seminar and one block seminar (2 weeks) with master-level students were held at the University of Stuttgart, and independent work within the Institute IBK2 was performed. The free experimentation with fabrication tactics resulted in the emergence of different investigation paths, tested with small-scale demonstrators, from which the most interesting three this paper presents in detail. The first is the two-phase printing process of mycelium substrate and subsidiary reusable support materials. It applied tests with the small, inorganic, loose substances (plastic pellets) extractable mechanically and meltable substances (wax) extracted by heating. The second path of investigation followed lost formworks created from hemp strings positioned inside the material. Finally, the third path is a particular case of lost formwork approach utilizing different tubular bandages stuffed with MBC and utilizing it later as a thick filament for other different form-giving deposition practices: layering, hanging, braiding, and knotting. All three investigation paths prove feasible, although their upscaling potential correlates strongly with the successful automation of the processes using CNC machines, which could provide the precision and sterility needed for this highly heterogenous and sensitive material. In addition, further developments in the material cultivation protocols are indispensable to provide a higher repetition of the results.
Within the built environment, much like the human body, we have assumed an anti-biotic approach that models humanity and cities as independent entities, self-sustaining and impermeable to the wider environment. It is important to tell stories of probiotic worlds when creating more-than-human environments. Being able to conceive of alternative futures must be the precursor to a living building realm.
(PDF) Biodesign research in the Anthropocene. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362311538_Biodesign_research_in_the_Anthropocene [accessed Aug 19 2022].
The increasing experimental investigations of Mycelium-Based Composites (MBC) in design and architecture necessitate efforts from pedagogues to find ways to transmit knowledge and support regarding the guiding principles of mycology so as to empower students in their investigations and study. The adoption of MBC craft in arts and applied arts offers much potential in extending the space of material semiotics as it is often accompanied by several theoretical and systemic interests, such as the urge to adopt alternative ontologies of nature or implementing thoroughly sustainability in the economy. To support these critical reflections and exploring novel formal expressions we have developed a stochastic simulation model of fungal colonisation for design education and research in MBC. In this paper we present the conceptual and technical framework guiding the model's development with specific focus on its role as a pedagogical instrument. We report on its pedagogical impact based on a students survey and their productions.
The subject of this research is growing mycelium-based composites and exploring their basic material properties. Since the building industry is responsible for a large amount of annual CO2 emissions, rethinking building materials is an important task for future practices. Using such composites is a carbon-neutral strategy that offers alternatives to conventional building materials. Yet, in order to become competitive, their basic research is still needed. In order to create mycelium-based composites, it was necessary to establish a sterile work environment and develop shaping procedures for objects on a scale of architectural building elements. The composite material exhibited qualities that make it suitable for compression-only structures, temporary assemblies, and acoustic and thermal insulation. The methodology includes evaluating several substrates, focused on beech sawdust, with two mycelium strains (Pleurotus ostreatus and Ganoderma lucidum), density calculations, compression tests, three-point flexural tests and capillary water absorption. The results of this study are presented through graphical and numerical values comparing material and mechanical properties. This study established a database for succeeding investigations and for defining the potentials and limitations of this material. Furthermore, future applications and relevant examinations have been addressed.
Mycelium-based composites (MBCs) have attracted growing attention due to their role in the development of eco-design methods. We concurrently analysed scientific publications, patent documents, and results of our own feasibility studies to identify the current design issues and technologies used. A literature inquiry in scientific and patent databases (WoS, Scopus, The Lens, Google Patents) pointed to 92 scientific publications and 212 patent documents. As a part of our own technological experiments, we have created several prototype products used in architectural interior design. Following the synthesis, these sources of knowledge can be concluded: 1. MBCs are inexpensive in production, ecological, and offer a high artistic value. Their weaknesses are insufficient load capacity, unfavourable water affinity, and unknown reliability. 2. The scientific literature shows that the material parameters of MBCs can be adjusted to certain needs, but there are almost infinite combinations: properties of the input biomaterials, characteristics of the fungi species, and possible parameters during the growth and subsequent processing of the MBCs. 3. The patent documents show the need for development: an effective method to increase the density and the search for technologies to obtain a more homogeneous internal structure of the composite material. 4. Our own experiments with the production of various everyday objects indicate that some disadvantages of MBCs can be considered advantages. Such an unexpected advantage is the interesting surface texture resulting from the natural inhomogeneity of the internal structure of MBCs, which can be controlled to some extent.
Fungal biomaterials are becoming increasingly popular in the fields of architecture and design, with a significant bloom of projects having taken place during the last 10 years. Using mycelium as a stabilizing compound for fibers from agricultural waste, new building elements can be manufactured according to the circular economy model and be used for architectural construction to transform the building industry towards an increased environmental and economic sustainability. Simultaneously, research on those materials and especially fungal biocomposites is producing knowledge that allows for the materials themselves to inspire and transform the architectural design. Novel research on those materials is not only allowing for their use as construction materials, but it inspires and affects the architectural design process through the discovery and variation of the materials’ properties. Today, many interdisciplinary teams are working on this emerging field to integrate fungal biocomposites in the construction industry and to merge science, art, and architecture responsibly.
This study provides an overview of the progress that has been made in this field during the last 10 years, focusing on six works that are presented in more detail. Those six works are spaces at an architectural scale which showcase unique elements and innovative aspects for the use of fungal biomaterials in architecture. Each work has followed different design strategies, different fabrication methods, or different post-processing methods. All of them together have produced significant technical knowledge as well as a cultural impact for the field of architecture but also for the field of fungal biotechnology.
The exceptional organic recycling ability of fungi is attracting attention in the bioeconomy, being exploited in industrial processes. Mushroom mycelium has been classified as the largest living organism on earth, being capable of growth through its symbiotic relationship with the substrate components. The ability of fungal mycelium to decompose lignocellulosic materials makes it usable for the fabrication of packaging materials, as isolation material or for bio-textile products. This paper presents an up-to-date overview of the current state of the art regarding mycelium biostructures. Thus, we described the development of research over the years, the most tested fungal species, the most used substrates and the up-to-date findings regarding technological challenges. © 2020, S.C. Virtual Company of Phisics S.R.L. All rights reserved.
This paper presents four key developments that are leading to the scalability of the fabrication processes of mycelium material. We develop a biological and digital fabrication pipeline for (1) growing large mycelium composite blocks, (2) on-site robotic wire-cutting, (3) using mycelium materials as a multi-functional formwork, and (4) implementing the self-healing of fungal organisms. The purpose of the research is to investigate the processing approaches, variable material handling and materials properties of large biohybrid (composed of biological and non-biological material) foam blocks. The robotic tool provides the freedom to shape and structure this novel biological material and opens the possibility of making unique architectural modules. For the first time, mycelium materials are robotically wire-cut in situ, which results in two demonstrators. Departing from an application based intention, we test the compatibility of thermal insulating mycelium formwork with a concrete slab. As such, we combine two different materials with hybrid physical and architectural properties. Additionally, we investigated the self-healing and living properties of mycelium components after robotic implementation. The combination of microbiological systems and fibrous substrates creates a unique class of bioactive composite materials , with potential applications at in the construction sector.
Digital technologies represent, for the world of design and material culture, unprecedented opportunities for expression and innovation. The integration of a bio-inspired design approach for the development of new materials, based on generative modelling and additive manufacturing, represents a promising challenge for the design culture. The paper intends to outline the potential and benefits of this integrated design approach, as a “virtuous circle” for the design and production of innovative and sustainable artefacts, through the description of an experimental design case study.
Fungi have the ability to transform organic materials into a rich and diverse set of useful products and provide distinct opportunities for tackling the urgent challenges before all humans. Fungal biotechnology can advance the transition from our petroleum‑based economy into a bio‑based circular economy and has the ability to sustainably produce resilient sources of food, feed, chemicals, fuels, textiles, and materials for construction, automotive and transportation industries, for furniture and beyond. Fungal biotechnology offers solutions for securing, stabilizing and enhancing the food supply for a growing human population, while simultaneously lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Fungal bio‑technology has, thus, the potential to make a significant contribution to climate change mitigation and meeting the United Nation’s sustainable development goals through the rational improvement of new and established fungal cell factories. The White Paper presented here is the result of the 2nd Think Tank meeting held by the EUROFUNG consor‑tium in Berlin in October 2019. This paper highlights discussions on current opportunities and research challenges in fungal biotechnology and aims to inform scientists, educators, the general public, industrial stakeholders and policy‑makers about the current fungal biotech revolution.
There is an increasing trend for designers to use living systems, through biodesign and biophilia in the urban environment. As new creative processes emerge, the perception and emotional responses of users towards these new systems are somewhat unknown. This paper aims to study the emotional responses and perceptions towards biological materials that are embedded in existing product designs. Data was collected from 58 respondents through an online questionnaire. The findings from this exploratory study show that the significant differences by comparing the respondents with a background in design and non-design towards the level of desirability, practicality, aesthetically pleasing and the common use towards artificial and real biological materials. This paper extends existing understanding of perception and emotional responses to design incorporated living systems and can begin validating existing studies which have brought different perspectives towards the functions, practicality, aesthetical value and emotional attachments of products.
Keywords: biophilic design, biodesign, biological materials, emotional design, product design
Mycelium composites are an emerging class of cheap and environmentally sustainable materials experiencing increasing research interest and commercialisation in Europe and the United States for construction applications. These materials utilise natural fungal growth as a low energy bio-fabrication method to upcycle abundant agricultural by-products and wastes into more sustainable alternatives to energy intensive synthetic construction materials. Mycelium composites have customisable material properties based on their composition and manufacturing process and can replace foams, timber and plastics for applications, such as insulation, door cores, panelling, flooring, cabinetry and other furnishings. Due to their low thermal conductivity, high acoustic absorption and fire safety properties outperforming traditional construction materials, such as synthetic foams and engineered woods, they show particular promise as thermal and acoustic insulation foams. However, limitations stemming from their typically foam-like mechanical properties, high water absorption and many gaps in material property documentation necessitate the use of mycelium composites as non- or semi-structural supplements to traditional construction materials for specific, suitable applications, including insulation, panelling and furnishings. Nonetheless, useful material properties in addition to the low costs, simplicity of manufacture and environmental sustainability of these materials suggest that they will play a significant role in the future of green construction.
Imperfection is not a usual aim within the context of industrialized product design. Under general norms, products are manufactured as clones of a ‘perfect’ original and product surfaces are prized for their ‘perfect’ flawless state. The mass production of products against these principles seems counterintuitive. Yet within the world of materials, and especially considering material surfaces, imperfection is widespread. This research set out to identify and scrutinize circumstances when material imperfection in products is appreciated, from mass manufacture to artisan practices. By synthesizing literature with analyses of material and product samples, five sources of surface imperfections are characterized: inherent material properties, production effects, workmanship of risk, planned and foreseen events, and everyday wear and tear. Following this, a research-focused concept design project is reported, leading to eleven product designs that exemplify how to design for, and with, imperfect material surfaces. A significant challenge facing designers is one of persuasion: of designing products where imperfect material surfaces are regarded as contributing to rather than detracting from product value. To this end, the paper culminates in a visual guide to embracing material surface imperfections in design practice.
Mycelium-based composites result from the growth of filamentous fungi on organic materials such as
agricultural waste streams. These novel biomaterials represent a promising alternative for product design and
manufacturing both in terms of sustainable manufacturing processes and circular lifespan. This study shows
that their morphology, density, tensile and flexural strength, as well as their moisture- and water-uptake
properties can be tuned by varying type of substrate (straw, sawdust, cotton), fungal species (Pleurotus
ostreatus vs. Trametes multicolor) and processing technique (no pressing or cold or heat pressing). The fungal
species impacts colonization level and the thickness of the air-exposed mycelium called fungal skin.
Colonization level and skin thickness as well as the type of substrate determine the stiffness and water
resistance of the materials. Moreover, it is shown that heat pressing improves homogeneity, strength and
stiffness of the materials shifting their performance from foam-like to cork- and wood-like. Together, these
results demonstrate that by changing the fabrication process, differences in performance of mycelium
materials can be achieved. This highlights the possibility to produce a range of mycelium-based composites.
In fact, it is the first time mycelium composites have been described with natural material properties.
Diverse forms of material expressions can be achieved through practices that cross-fertilize biology and design. Growing Design is one such practice in which designers grow materials from living organisms, such as bacteria, algae or fungi. While this emerging practice may facilitate novel product ideas, the grown materials, to date, are often used in applications as surrogates for conventional materials. A recently introduced method, Material Driven Design (MDD) (Karana, Barati, Rognoli, & Zeeuw van der Laan, 2015), can support designers in finding novel application ideas for a material in development, by providing the ways in which the unique technical and experiential qualities of the material are emphasized and bridged in an appropriate and creative manner. The present paper explores the journey of a product design master’s student, who followed the MDD method through a six-month graduation project, in search of a product application idea for a material that is intentionally grown for design purposes, namely, mycelium-based materials. We provide a practical understanding of how the material-driven design process evolves when the material grows, and elaborate on the product application concept through the lens of materials experience, which is the main motivation for the research and design activities throughout the project. We further speculate on the tools and activities that the student incorporated in the design process to tackle uncertainty as to the micro-organism’s agency, its unique temporality, and the acceptance of the material in society.
The circular economy is a high priority subject of discussion in the current political and academic contexts; however, practical approaches in relevant disciplines like design are in need of development. This article proposes a conceptual framework for circular product design, based on four multiple loops strategies: (I) design to slow the loops, (II) design to close the loops, (III) design for bio-inspired loops, and (IV) design for bio-based loops. Recent literature, notably on life cycle design strategies, the circular economy conceptual model and the European Commission’s Circular Economy Package, is reviewed and product design cases illustrating each of the proposed are analysed. The article argues that different ‘circular’ approaches centred upon the life cycle design phases can provide practical guiding strategies during the design process and thus promote sustainable design solutions for the circular economy within the United Nation’s sustainable development goals.
This paper presents the results of an exploratory analysis about the existence and nature of ‘materials and manufacturing methods’ contents into the curricula of product design undergraduate programs in Brazil. Materials selection has great impact on the manufacturing of products and can support more sustainable design. This study is the first phase of a research about the implications of choosing autochthonous materials and traditional manufacturing methods for design of local products and, consequently, adding value to local resource and its origin. The main case study was conducted in Brazil that is an immense country and owns vast natural resources. Moreover, Brazilian ancestry communities developed a lot of traditional manufacture methods. Neither native materials nor traditional manufacturing methods are presented for design students as alternative for adding value to local resources. Aiming at illustrate possible strategies for M&MM education, three innovative initiatives in Europe are presented.
Materials embedded in artifacts determine the user's materials experience and influence the aesthetic perception. Currently, the widely use of perfect and homogeneous industrial materials is dictating our experience and guide our perception. However, In the last years, a new phenomenon where designers seem interested on recuperating control of the development and the design of materials is emerging. This phenomenon is known as DIY-Materials and is a way for designers to self-produce materials. Those materials appear to be a delightful source of richness regarding the perception and must be considered in designing for the next aesthetic.
The paper aims to present some initial considerations and ideas for explaining the current investigation into the aesthetics of DIY-Materials. All the previous studies about the relationship between materials and their aesthetic attributes and qualities are under examination. We create materials boards using the extensive current cases studies, and we framed them following the settled kingdoms classification of DIY-Materials. As part of the study, we started to make some aesthetic considerations for each kingdom with the general purpose to move further formulating useful strategies for designers to self-produce their materials.
Sustainable composites that use renewable materials and provide better end-of-life options are of great interest to industry. This paper describes an investigative study into high-production manufacturing approaches for a biocomposite material with these characteristics consisting of natural fiber reinforcement and agricultural waste cores bound together by a fungal mycelium matrix that grows in and around everything. Specific processes investigated include cutting of reinforcement plies (woven jute textile in this case), impregnating individual plies a temporary glue binder, stacking and forming laminates or 'skins', drying and sterilization of formed skins, and assembling all components that comprise a composite sandwich structure prior to the mycelium growth phase. Optimal processes are determined according to a number of metrics such as shortest cycle time, lowest cost, lowest energy consumption, and best product quality. The final manufacturing processes were selected based on the results of this comparative study.
This research examines the use of a novel new renewable resource in acoustic absorption applications. The new material being tested is based on a fungi that is grown on semi-hydrophobic agricultural by-product substrates such as switch-grass, rice straw, sorghum stalks, flax shive, kenaf and hemp. The various substrates were tested as this novel composite is limited in the control over density, with the main control being the selection of the constituent parts. The testing of the material for use in acoustics utilized an impedance tube and measured the standing wave ratios in accordance to ISO standard 10534-1. The results of the study show the mycelium based boards are a promising bio-based composite alternative to standard traditional foam insulation board. Results suggest an optimal performance at the key automotive road noise frequency of 1000 Hz. A further advantage provided by this new material is that it can be produced economically in comparison to the traditional petroleum based foams with the further advantage of bio-degradation when the product is disposed of at its end-of-life use. Based upon this work, future research is planned to examine this novel new composite in other acoustic applications where shape modifications can further enhance the performance.
Materials research constantly offers novel materials as better alternatives to convention. Functional aptness is taken for granted at the first commercial launch of a new material. Nevertheless, this alone may not be enough for its commercial success and widespread use. The ‘material’ should also elicit meaningful user experiences in and beyond its utilitarian assessment. This requires qualifying the material not only for what it is, but also for what it does, what it expresses to us, what it elicits from us, what it makes us do. In search of a proper application through such an understanding, material scientists and industries have reached out to designers to guide the development of materials by experiential goals. However, how to design for experiences with and for a material at hand has been poorly addressed to date. In this article, we propose a method, Material Driven Design (MDD), to facilitate designing for material experiences. After explaining the theoretical foundation of the method, an illustrative case is presented– where ‘coffee waste’ is the subject of design effort to conceive a new product concept. Finally, possible research directions are addressed to bring new insights to the effective application of the MDD method to diverse projects.
Mycelium-bound composites are biodegradable, eco-friendly materials grown by fungi onto solid ligno-cellulosic substrates. Mycelium is an interconnected network made of fungal cells that bind the substrates' particulates together. Uncompressed mycelium-bound composites have typically weak mechanical properties, similar to that of expanded polystyrene. In this paper, mycelium is grown onto porous woodpile struts structures to increase the final mechanical properties. The hypothesis is that increase in porosity can increase oxygen diffusion throughout the material and increase the development of dense mycelium network. Mycelium-bound composites grown from P. ostreatus onto bamboo microfibers substrates were studied to test this hypothesis. Constructing porous woodpile structures and monitoring the growth and the mechanical properties under compression, it was found that the porosity obtained through the design was able to increase dense fungal mycelium skin formation. As a result, the stiffness of the porous structures was multiplied by 6 after 28 days of growth. The specific modulus was in turned multiplied by 4 with the addition of 30 % macroscopic porosity. Despite the modest mechanical properties (stiffness about 0.5 MPa), the approach proposed illustrates how appropriate structural design can efficiently increase the properties of grown bio-based materials.
The last decade has seen a rapid growth in design interest, research and development of mycelium-based technologies for various applications across textiles, fashion, product, furniture and architecture domains. Building on an ancient relationship between fungi and humankind—well documented by ethnomycology literature and advanced through both biotechnology and creative practice—a new partnership between design, science and industry leaders has pioneered the market introduction of fungi-derived products. The careful crafting of material, aesthetic and performance properties, paired with an open, collaborative and conscious approach to material innovation, has meant that the early concept designs, protypes, and commercially realised applications, present a holistically considered future of mycelium products, environments and systems. This chapter charts an overview of key moments, considerations and stakeholders in this growing design domain, with a view to providing a resource for the next generation of innovators, who will advance the scope and future applications of fungi in design.
A novel naturally grown mycelium-composite insulation brick was bio-produced by cultivating a biocompatible and fast-growing fungus, Pleurotus ostreatus, in the rye berries feedstocks. The resultant mycelium composites consisted of a core of colonized substrate, encased by a layer of water-repellent fungal skin. The microstructure of mycelium composites shows that fungal fibers grow from feedstocks and bonded adjacent feedstocks. The impact of density and moisture on the mechanical properties of mycelium composites were studied, finding that composites with increased density presented an improvement of flexural strength under both low and middle levels of Relative Humidity (RH). However, under high level of RH, composites have a lower flexural strength but a greater deformation. The mechanical strength of mycelium composites, however, meets the existing transportation and construction requirements. Based on the measured thermal properties of mycelium composites, EnergyPlus analyses were conducted to evaluate their performance in buildings’ operational energy in comparison with conventional natural insulation materials, i.e., lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) and expanded vermiculite (EV). Compared with LECA and EV, the use of mycelium-composite for building insulation reduced the indoor temperature fluctuations. Compared with LECA and EV, mycelium-composite insulation reduced the total annual heating and cooling energies as well as the total annual CO2 emissions for buildings located in US Climate Zone 2–8, with the only exception being in Zone 1 or the very hot climate zone. Therefore, naturally grown mycelium-composite, as demonstrated in this study, is promising to provide sustainable building insulation materials.
Micro combustion and power generation systems have increasingly been investigated as potential alternatives to electrochemical energy storage thanks to hydrocarbon fuel’s high energy density, but electrical componentry for pumping significantly limits the overall system efficiency. These components must be eliminated to allow for widespread adoption of micro combustion and power generation systems, and so the development of an alternative pumping technique is required.
By taking advantage of the thermal transpiration phenomenon, small-scale pumping can be obtained in the presence of a temperature gradient. Initial work has been done to investigate the efficacy of this system, but a major issue has arisen due to the lack of low-cost thermal transpiration membranes with desirable pore characteristics. Research has revealed that vessel hyphae present in the roots of mushrooms (mycelium) form a network which could meet the requirements of an effective thermal transpiration membrane. Proper growing conditions could also allow for an application specific mycelium structure providing a highly effective and low-cost thermal transpiration membrane for micro combustion systems.
The role of design, both expert and nonexpert, in the ongoing wave of social innovation toward sustainability.
In a changing world everyone designs: each individual person and each collective subject, from enterprises to institutions, from communities to cities and regions, must define and enhance a life project. Sometimes these projects generate unprecedented solutions; sometimes they converge on common goals and realize larger transformations. As Ezio Manzini describes in this book, we are witnessing a wave of social innovations as these changes unfold—an expansive open co-design process in which new solutions are suggested and new meanings are created.
Manzini distinguishes between diffuse design (performed by everybody) and expert design (performed by those who have been trained as designers) and describes how they interact. He maps what design experts can do to trigger and support meaningful social changes, focusing on emerging forms of collaboration. These range from community-supported agriculture in China to digital platforms for medical care in Canada; from interactive storytelling in India to collaborative housing in Milan. These cases illustrate how expert designers can support these collaborations—making their existence more probable, their practice easier, their diffusion and their convergence in larger projects more effective. Manzini draws the first comprehensive picture of design for social innovation: the most dynamic field of action for both expert and nonexpert designers in the coming decades.
Recent convergence of biotechnological and design tools has stimulated an emergence of new design practices utilizing natural mechanisms to program matter in a bottom-up approach. In this paper, the fibrous network of mycelium—the vegetative part of fungi—is employed to produce sustainable alternatives for synthetic foams. Current research on mycelium-based materials lacks essential details regarding material compositions, incubation conditions, and fabrication methods. The paper presents the results of ongoing research on employing mycelium to provide cleaner architecture and design products with sustainable lifecycles. The paper opens with a critical review of current projects, products, and scientific literature using mycelium in design and architecture. In the second section, material properties of varied fungi-substrate compositions and fabrication methods are evaluated and compared through changes in essential chemical parameters during fermentation, visual impression, water absorbency, and compression strength tests. Then, potential architecture and design implications related to the material properties are discussed. Results indicate a clear correlation between fungi, substrate, mold properties, and incubation conditions on final material characteristics, depicting a clear effect on material density, water absorbency, and the compressive strength of the final bio-composite. Finally, two primary case studies demonstrate implications for mycelium-based composites for circular design and architectural applications. The study shows that in order to produce desirable designs and performance within an inclusive circular approach, parameters such as material composition and fabrication conditions should be considered according to the target function of the final product throughout the design process.
Following a decade of research on the environmental impacts of microplastics, a knowledge gap remains on the processes by which micro and nanoplastics pass across biological barriers, enter cells and are subject to biological mechanisms. Here we summarize available literature on the accumulation of microplastics and their associated contaminants in a variety of organisms including humans. Most data on the accumulation of microplastics in both field and lab studies are for marine invertebrates. Microplastics accumulation data for insects, birds, marine mammals and sea turtles are scarce due to methodological issues. There is no conclusive evidence for the mode of accumulation of microplastics in either mammals or humans. The mechanism of chemical partitioning, role of contaminants associated with plastics, and mode of action of both nano- and micro-plastics and associated chemicals in a range of organisms and associated compartments/tissues also requires further research.
Mycelium is a fast growing vegetative part of a fungus which is a safe, inert, renewable, natural and green material which grows in a mass of branched fibres, attaching to the medium on which it is growing and can be originated from mainly biological wastes and agricultural wastes. The self-assembling bonds formed by mycelium grows quickly and produces miles of tiny white fibres which envelopes and digest the seed husks, binding them into a strong and biodegradable material. Mycelium based materials have the potential to become the material of choice for a wide variety of applications, with the advantage of low cost of raw materials and disposal of polystyrene posing an environmental issue. This paper reviews the achievement and current status of technology based on mushroom cultivation for bio remediation of agro-industrial wastes and also emphasizes on mycelium based material for packaging and insulation applications as a sustainable alternative for polystyrene.
Knowledge about materials is a fundamental element in product design education. It involves learning engineering concept about the technical properties and selection tools. More important, this concerns developing a sensitivity to the sensorial and experiential qualities of materials. We propose Material Tinkering as a practical and creative approach to develop this sensitivity through experiential learning. Integrated with envisioning and abstract conceptualization, it leads to richer and more complete projects. The paper uses a case study. This case is an experimental educational activity applying the tinkering approach to self-produced materials, i.e. DIY materials. This method fosters students' creativity and educates them to understand, evaluate, and design the experiential, expressive, and sensorial characteristics of materials, i.e. the concept of Materials Experience, Tactual Experience, and the Expressive-sensorial dimension of materials. In conclusions, we suggest strategies to facilitate Material Tinkering.
In selecting a material to create an intended product meaning, several factors, such as the material's sensorial and technical properties, the product in which the material is embodied, and who the user is, may need to be taken into consideration. Each factor consists of a number of aspects (e.g., user covers aspects including gender, expertise, culture, etc.) with each playing a different role in attributing meaning to a particular material. The role that two product aspects (shape and function) and two user aspects (gender and culture) plays in attributing meaning to two materials, plastics and metal, is studied. The study demonstrates the contention that meanings of materials in a particular context are shaped by interactions of materials with aspects of products and users. On the other hand, the effect of a certain aspect (e.g., shape) may change depending on the meaning (e.g., feminine) aimed to be expressed. The results of the study, main effects and interactions are thoroughly discussed in this paper.
Novel materials tend to prevent all forms of change in time and acquisition of signs of aging, which may affect their ‘perfect’ aesthetic qualities. It would not be wrong to claim that technological developments, the predominance of automation processes and quality controls have led - and been driven by - a trend favouring the dominance of an aesthetic model tied to perfection in every sphere of human life: the body, the style of life, products, and their materials. Such an aesthetic model tied to perfection can only be obtained with brand-new products and it inevitably encourages the possession of a ‘new’ one even if the ‘old’ one is still fully functional. As stated earlier by the pioneers in the design for sustainability domains, following such an aesthetic model stimulating the possession of the ‘new’ is a great threat to sustainable development. Founded in these discussions, in this chapter we address the implementation of a new approach to material aesthetics, based on imperfection and graceful aging. We discuss how both of these concepts can be used as a medium to express naturalness and uniqueness, and how they can create added values that can evoke longer-term attachment to products.
Consumer products fulfil a variety of needs. Products do not exist to merely perform tasks, they satisfy other functional requirements. These include aspirations, cultural, social and emotional needs. There is currently interest in the emotional relationship between a product and its user. It is important that the designer can empathise with specific user groups in order for their designs to create this emotional relationship.User-Centred Design is concerned with more than functional issues. Major manufacturing companies such as Sony, Philips and Apple Macintosh are already applying responsive design methods to meet perceived consumer needs. How is design education encouraging prospective designers to engage with User-Centred Design strategies and methodologies? How can such strategies and methodologies be incorporated into the curriculum to help students imbue a new product with qualities that implicitly reflect the emotional needs of the target consumer? This paper discusses soft design, and then examines some of the ways in which the undergraduate product design programmes at Loughborough and Staffordshire Universities are tackling this aspect of design studies.
Understanding “bio” material innovations: A Primer for the Fashion Industry
- Lee Suzanne Amy Congdon
- Georgia Parker
- Charlotte Borst